An Ontario man whose brother died when his call to 911 was dropped and left uninvestigated is urging the provincial government to reform the rules governing call takers in a bid to make sure the tragedy is never repeated.
In August 2024, Ralph Buerger called 911 in Niagara Region, desperate for emergency medical help, but was unable to speak in a call that lasted for 35 seconds.
A recording of the call given to his family appears to feature a sound which could be someone falling.
The brief call, however, did not trigger a wellness check from police or paramedics, and Ralph, 59, was found dead in the morning.
Ever since, his two siblings have been seeking justice.
Rick Buerger and Christine Stark have tried to get answers from Niagara Regional Police and various oversight bodies, but say they’ve been blocked at every turn.
Recently, they gathered signatures for a petition to the provincial government, begging for an overhaul to the rules to make sure call takers never miss signs like their brother’s attempts to reach 911.
“My brother, Ralph Buerger, lost his life because his call for help went unheard,” the petition put together by Rick reads. “He made a desperate 911 call, hoping to get assistance, but tragically, there was no response.”
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Through his attempts to get answers from Niagara Regional Police, Rick said he’s concerned call takers may not be provided with adequate noise-cancelling headphones or have their hearing regularly tested.
Those two changes, he contends, could have been the difference when his brother called.
“In Ralph’s memory, it’s crucial that steps are taken to prevent similar tragedies. Enhancing the hearing capabilities of call takers could significantly improve emergency response outcomes,” Rick wrote.
“Please, let’s ensure that no other family has to endure what ours did, losing a loved one when help was right there, but unheard.”
The petition drew more than 1,400 signatures from residents in Niagara Region and was tabled at Queen’s Park in mid-April by local NDP MPP Jeff Burch.
“What happened to Ralph Buerger is heartbreaking and deeply troubling,” he said in a statement.
“Folks need to know that when they call 911, help will come. The government should take these concerns seriously and ensure operators have the resources, equipment, training, and standards they need, so no other family is left searching for answers.”
Burch said he had also raised the issue “directly” with Solicitor General Michael Kerzner.
His office, however, said it had not received the petition.
“Our government is investing over $208 million support emergency communication centres to transition to NG9-1-1,” a spokesperson for the solicitor general wrote in a statement.
“NG9-1-1 will identify GPS coordinates to better identify the location of the caller, resulting in faster and more informed emergency response and addressing past coroner inquest recommendations. It will also enable the public to send and receive real-time text messages with 9-1-1 communications centres, enabling forms of communication when a call is not possible.”
A spokesperson for Niagara Regional Police said officers had met with Ralph’s family, but offered no further details.
Rick and his sister Christine have previously said the local police force hasn’t helped with their requests, blocking an attempt to present to the police board and forcing them to file a freedom of information request to hear the 911 call.
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